Hundreds of Students Stranded at School after District Cancels Classes

CALDWELL- Caldwell ISD didn't think it was going to be that bad, but a winter storm caught the district off guard and left kids stranded at school.

"This is a first," said district Superintendent Janet Cummings.

Nearly 300 students were stranded inside the schools of Caldwell ISD after the buses dropped them off early this morning. Cummings said when buses began their usual route before 6:30 a.m., there was no wintry precipitation falling, but that quickly changed.

"By 6:45 a.m., our bus drivers began calling in that the conditions of the roads were becoming hazardous to them," she said.

As the temperatures continued to drop, the district said it became too dangerous for the buses to drive, leaving the students already at school stranded. Luckily, there were enough teachers already on campus before the school closed, and they were able to oversee the students and keep them busy.

One by one, parents came to pick up their kids, grateful the district kept them safe and warm. Buses started taking kids home from school around one Thursday afternoon, and the district made arrangements to take care of the students who weren't able to go home at that time.

"It's good to know that we have a protocol in place and that it quickly went into effect for the safety of our students," the Superintendent said.

Eighth grader Makenzie Mendez and her friends got the notice of the cancellation early enough to avoid being stuck in school. She said she is grateful for her hall pass, but feels sorry for her friends who caught the bus too early.

"I kind of felt bad for them because I wouldn't want that to be me; to come to school and then find out that we didn't have school," Mendez said.

The Superintendent said the district will not have to make up this snow day, which is something students are happy about.

Comments may be monitored for inappropriate content, but the station is under no legal obligation to do so.
If you believe a comment violates the above rules, please use the Flagging Tool to alert a Moderator.
Flagging does not guarantee removal.

Multiple violations may result in account suspension.
Decisions to suspend or unsuspend accounts are made by Station Moderators.
Questions may be sent to comments@kbtx.com.
Please provide detailed information.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.